The Democratic nominee for Tennessee governor wants to electrocute incumbent Bill Haslam
Politics are weird.
In Tennessee, Gov. Bill Haslam easily locked up a Republican party nomination in his quest for a second term, winning more than 88 percent of the primary vote.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
That appears to be an Oakdale resident named Charles V. "Charlie" Brown, who likely benefited from his famous name and top-billing on the Democratic ballot. The Tennessean reported that Brown defeated three other challengers for the Democratic nomination.
Brown is a unique sort of politician. He has reported raising a grand total of zero dollars for his campaign through this week's primary election. He has ignored all interview requests so far. And his Facebook page announcing the campaign misspells his first name as "Chrles." Oh, he would also like to electrocute Bill Haslam.
The Washington Post obtained a screenshot of the "Letter to the Editor" that Brown submitted to the Blount County Democratic Party instead of the usual candidate questionnaire. It's worth a full read, for sure, but Brown's first two sentences set the tone:
"I under stand that the governor has reinstated the electric chair to take care of the prison on death row," Brown's letter reads. "After what he has done to my friends in Knox County, I would like to strap his butt to the chair and give him about half the jolt."
Democrats can rest assured that Brown seems to be a measured sort of man, settling for half the jolt. This will be one to watch come November.
-
The Week Unwrapped: Do the Freemasons have too much sway in the police force?Podcast Plus, what does the growing popularity of prediction markets mean for the future? And why are UK film and TV workers struggling?
-
Properties of the week: pretty thatched cottagesThe Week Recommends Featuring homes in West Sussex, Dorset and Suffolk
-
The week’s best photosIn Pictures An explosive meal, a carnival of joy, and more
-
NIH director Bhattacharya tapped as acting CDC headSpeed Read Jay Bhattacharya, a critic of the CDC’s Covid-19 response, will now lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
-
Witkoff and Kushner tackle Ukraine, Iran in GenevaSpeed Read Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner held negotiations aimed at securing a nuclear deal with Iran and an end to Russia’s war in Ukraine
-
Pentagon spokesperson forced out as DHS’s resignsSpeed Read Senior military adviser Col. David Butler was fired by Pete Hegseth and Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin is resigning
-
Judge orders Washington slavery exhibit restoredSpeed Read The Trump administration took down displays about slavery at the President’s House Site in Philadelphia
-
Hyatt chair joins growing list of Epstein files losersSpeed Read Thomas Pritzker stepped down as executive chair of the Hyatt Hotels Corporation over his ties with Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell
-
Judge blocks Hegseth from punishing Kelly over videoSpeed Read Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth pushed for the senator to be demoted over a video in which he reminds military officials they should refuse illegal orders
-
Trump’s EPA kills legal basis for federal climate policySpeed Read The government’s authority to regulate several planet-warming pollutants has been repealed
-
House votes to end Trump’s Canada tariffsSpeed Read Six Republicans joined with Democrats to repeal the president’s tariffs
